The bile present in the gallbladder can harden into pieces of stone-like material which, when pushed out of the gallbladder can obstruct not only the cystic duct and the common bile duct but also neighbouring ducts such as the hepatic or pancreatic ducts. This can give rise to diseases such as cholelithiasis, choledocholithiasis, which may result in cholangitis, obstructive jaundice, and pancreatitis. Despite the frequency of these conditions the clinical management of stones identified in the bile ducts in the intestine is almost exclusively based on the removal of the bile duct through cholecystectomy.
Cholecystectomy, although an established procedure, still carries a small but existent complication rate, especially when performed in an acute setting. Some 20% of patients continue to suffer from pain after cholecystectomy, and symptomatic therapy with analgesia (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), narcotic analgesics) is designated. Medical dissolution therapy with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is an alternative for patients experiencing moderate symptoms due to cholesterol gallstones. The main drawbacks of this treatment are the low efficacy, slowness in action and the possibility of stone recurrence.
Drugs influencing hepatic synthesis and/or secretion of cholesterol like statins, and/or intestinal absorption of cholesterol like ezetimibe might be able to influence the formation of cholesterol gallstones and promote the dissolution of gallstones, but this concept has not yet been proven in the clinic. Moreover, synthetic chemical drugs often have side effects.
Herniaria hirsuta L. (Caryophyllaceae), native to Eurasia and Northern Africa, is used in folk medicine for the treatment of lithiasis or as a diuretic (Atmani et al., 2004, Journal of Ethnopharmacology 139:728-738; Mbark et al., 2000, Die Pharmazie 55:690-692).